Waking Nightmare
by Native Knight
Summary: Tigerstar is dissatisfied with the quality of his Dark Forest warriors. But there may be one Clan cat who has the power of a whole Clan - if Tigerstar can just convince him to join the Dark Forest. Rated for violence. Minor LionXCinder.


_A/N_ - Look who's back! :P And with an actual story? Not just a one-shot? *gasp*

But nobody faint yet, I'm not sure I'll finish this. I just figured I'd post this and maybe if I got some reviews I'd find the inspiration to finish it. *hint hint.* Any critique would be appreciated. This is my first time writing Tigerstar and Darkstripe, so I would love opinion on whether either of them are too OOC or not. So go now, read, and please review! :3

Oh, and this is placed sometime after The Forgotten Warrior. Forgot to mention that. :3

_SPOILER WARNING -_ Spoilers for pretty much all the books.

_DISCLAIMER_ - I do not own Warriors or any of its' respective characters.

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><p>It was night, and the air was eerily silent – not a single bird chirped and not a single leaf moved. Dark fog ghosted through the forest, floating in and out of the sickly greenish-yellow light that seemed to be emanating from the very ground rather than the sky.<p>

A broad-shouldered tom stood silently among the trees, his dark tabby coat blending into the gloomy background and leaving only his luminescent amber eyes clearly visible. Beside the massive tom stood a smaller, lithe tom. His black and gray coat was ruffled and matted, and there was a frenzied, nervous look in his gleaming blue eyes. He was crouching slightly, his ears flat against his head, as though to

A low growl rose deep in the darker tom's throat. "We do not yet have enough power to overthrow the warrior code," he murmured.

The small tom flicked his ears slightly. "But Tigerstar, we have many warriors from every Clan!" he exclaimed, trying not to sound as nervous as he always was in the tyrant's presence. "You have built this glorious army, bigger and stronger than theirs could ever hope to be. Surely this is enough to take on the Clans."

Tigerstar shook his head. "No, Darkstripe. The way to win a war is through quality, not quantity." He turned angrily to the other warrior, making Darkstripe cringe to his belly. "I saw the she-cat apprentice you brought here not long ago," he said, his voice soft and quiet. Somehow this was far more terrifying to Darkstripe than a snarl could be. "The one we've been calling Larkpaw?"

"Yes, Tigerstar," Darkstripe murmured.

"Do you know what I find puzzling, Darkstripe? That I've never noticed her in any of the Clans. Which Clan did you say she was from?"

Again Darkstripe cowered before the muscular warrior. "She's not from any Clan, Tigerstar," he stammered, the fur on his back rising with panic. "S-she's from the Tribe of Rushing Water. In the mountains. Her f-father is a RiverClan cat, and as you said earlier, we need all the warriors we can get…" He broke off with a panicked yowl as four huge claws came out of nowhere and swatted him to the ground. He hit the dirt and scrambled to his paws, coughing, shaking blood from his pelt where Tigerstar had clawed him.

Tigerstar leapt onto Darkstripe, pinning him down with one massive paw, his claws unsheathed. "A _half-blood_ RiverClan cat," he hissed, his face mere inches from Darkstripe's. "I gave direct orders to only recruit pureblood cats! I can't even trust you to recruit real cats for my army."

Darkstripe squirmed and panted under his leader's fierce grip. "Sir, as you previously pointed out, we do not yet have enough warriors to defeat the Clans," he panted, his eyes wide with terror.

"Silence!" Tigerstar roared, sinking his claws into Darkstripe's shoulder and earning another panicked yowl from the smaller tom. "The apprentice's father was half-blooded RiverClan and ThunderClan. It's mother is not even a Clan cat. Lark_paw_ is not worthy of the Dark Forest. Same as you are not." Still growling, he backed up, allowing Darkstripe to flip over to his feet.

"O-of course, Tigerstar!" Darkstripe gasped as he scrambled upright. "After all, your word is law."

Tigerstar growled. "I will let this mistake slip this once, but fail me again and I promise you, it will be the last thing you ever do. Now leave."

Darkstripe whirled around and tore away from the clearing.

"But I still need more warriors," Tigerstar muttered to himself as he watched Darkstripe flee through the trees. "I need warriors who can fight as long as needed and not tire. But such a strength is reserved only for those who have joined StarClan or the Place of No Stars…unless…" Tigerstar's eyes widened. "The prophecy! There may yet be one cat I can use to help defeat the Clans." He closed his eyes. "One single warrior wiping out a whole Clan."

Yes. Yes, he would have to make this work. But convincing this special warrior to join the Dark Forest would be trying, at the very least. From what Tigerstar had seen of him, he was loyal to his Clan to the end.

_That can be changed,_ he thought, remembering back to a time when this cat has been loyal to him. _I will return to his dreams and speak to him. Then we shall see. And if I cannot turn him…there are other ways of gaining his strength._

A vicious smile snaked across Tigerstar's lips as the thought entered his mind. He could practically feel the younger warrior's limitless strength coursing through his own body now. And he knew just how to obtain it.

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><p><em>AN<em> - Can anyone guess who this 'special warrior' is? It's pretty easy to figure out.

On a random side note, Tigerstar and Darkstripe remind me of Megatron and Starscream. Poor Dark is Tiger's punching bag. XD

So, peace until next time!

-Charm


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